The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-05-11
The Sunny South" or Western
North Carolina.

The "Sunny South" or Western
North Carolina.
Edit0r Wdtchmdn:-It has been thought
revolving in my mind for months that some
time, if was able, having spent over three
months during the summer of last year for
my health in this tory-denominated
the Sunny South, or Land of the Sky
but known in that region as western North
Carolina-I would write up in my poor way,
some of my observations and perhaps fur
nish to some of my friends and the readers
of your valuable paper some information of
this country which they do not all possess
Without any further preface, then, / will
start out with the inquiry: Where is west
ern North Carolina" Looking at the map
you will see North Carolina laid at and
bounded by Virginia on the north east bv
the ocean, south by South Carolina and
west by Tennessee, but no portion desg-
mated or laid out as western North Caro-
lima. From information gained find that
it is comparatively new name to a recently
made accessible region and has taken on
this name locally, being, or having been, so
much isolated from the other portion of
the state. Now, again CHANGING at your map,
you Will see there are mountain ranges run
ming from northeast to southwest across the
western portion of the state. These ranges
are the Blue Ridge on the east and the Ale
ghany on the west, these being the line be-
tween the states of North Carolina and Ten
nessee 1t is this region lying between these
mountain ranges which has taken this name.
The people of the region call it a plateau,
which it is not at ALL for plateau is fiat
surface, but here you cannot find ten-acre
plat to answer to such a name. This region
covers about one hundred fifty miles north
east and southwest and from forty to
seventy-tive miles almost the area of
the state of Massachusetts, in width, and
its general elevation is about $500 feet
above the sea level, while thirty to fifty
mountain peaks, named and without other
than local names, are seen in all direc-
tons as you traverse the region, rising
above you from 1000 20 1900 feet, among
the number visible from the place where
/ was most of the time being Mount Mitchell
of geographical fame, standing 6,117 feet
above the sea.
l have said this region had been isolated,
for until some five years ago there was no
access to it from the eastern world except
the old and slow process by I" United States
mail " stage or the Podteams " which
dragged the products east across the Blue
Ridge mountain range to exchange for the
value in something more needed with the
more fortunate party who had more ready
access with the still farther east or sea-coast.
Now this is all changed, and that rich and
powerful railroad the Richmond & Dan
vile corporation, with its immense syndi-
cate or combination aided by the state, has
built railroad from the old town of Sails
bury, one hundred fifty miles west, across
this range and down into this region |
am describing, Traversing this range in
its ascent from the east eleven miles in its
windings, it has really gone three miles,
and as you are going up and up you can
look back over your route and see five dis
tinct lines of railroad at one view, and be-
fore reaching the top, or the lowest gap"
in the range, known as " Swanuanoa Cap
you have passed through seven tunnels, the
longest of which is 800 feet, and 562, 451,
252, 2l6, 125 and SO feet are the respective
lengths of six. Now we descend, in
going the remaining twenty-five miles to
the objective point, about $50 feet, having
assembled, in our travel from Salisbury TO
the top, about 2.l00 feet, as this town is
go feet above the sea level.
We have now answered our own question
of where is western North Carolina, and
have brought You along with us, perhaps
by some degree of imagination. Now let
us say something as definite as we can of
this country as we see it, and we will speak
of these wooded mountain ranges. We
saw them in their beauty from May to
August. No barren peaks meet your eye,
as in Vermont or New Hampshire but
heavily-wooded with mammoth oak, black
walnut, sturdy pines, hemlock, cherry,
locust, dogwood, maple in great variety,
poplar, chestnut beech, birch and many
other varieties. These ranges are covered
clear TO their tops, and except as agriculture
has advanced up their sides and cleared the
acres for the cultivation of the various
grains and tobacco, you see an almost I'M
broken forest of heavy wood.
Now, to describe the general surface, let
me quote from another and a resident. He
says il is termed a plateau" but it has
none of the evenness of surface that is char
acteristic, and it is termed g valley only
because it is included between the Blue
Ridge and Allegheny ranges. 1t is in fact
a mountainous region, being crossed by
traversed ranges that divide il into several
comparatively narrow valleys. With its
various mountain chains and their numer-
GUS peaks, from 4 900 10 1900 feet above
tide-water, it looks rough and uninviting to
the farmer accustomed to the broad prairies
of the West, however attractive il may be
to one in search of the picturesque.
Having enticed you into this far-of
| " Land of the Sky" it would not be the fair
thing not TO let you know of a way to get
out without backing out or retracng your
steps, provided you are bound go further,
even ii you fare worse This same Rich
northerly direction, following the valley of
the French Broad river" (the principal
stream of this region), until ii finds a gap
in the Allegheny range, through which ii
passes into Tennessee, and from there you
can quite easily make your way south, west
or north.
If in this article, hastily dotted, there is
give you some further description in detail
of the places ! visited, the agricultural con-
dtions, manufactures, trade, the people
as they are after twenty years of freedom
manners, customs, etc. A volume might
easily be written by a more fluent pen than
mine, showing relative conditions as COM
pared with the states of the North. Re-
specially, l.. w. JONES.
West Somerville, Mass.